The Cecil Whig., 1887-11-05
TAKING THE LEAD.

At this season Of the year large mum
Der of young men stand upon the thrcsh
hold of life, looking out. more or less
anxiously, wondering what is going 10
befall them. Some are destined to be
victors, others to be yanquished. Some
will command, others will obey. Nearly
all will serve at first, but some will COM
mand at last. Some will eDjoya brilliant
but brief success, Others will be slow to
get their feet on firm ground. but ultI-
mately they will become important and
powerful persons.
1t is well 10 know that the anxiety
which torments many good fellows at
this time may itself be a symptom of
weakness. On the other hand il may be
nothing Of the sort. Young Ben Frank
I'm, as we plainly see in his autobIogra-
| ply, was not courageous at the begin
nlng OF hls business career His anxiety
seems at times to have been excessive. if
not morbid; yet he was one of the most
richly endowed young men that ever
| lived, and he attained not a success.
merely, bat dozen successes, each mem
orable and precious. There is an an
xiety that depresses and misIeads: there
! is another kind of anxiety which Inspires
and sustains
NO amount of worry can change one
fundamental fact. Every youth who is
about to enter active life is either a nat
ural master or natural subordinate, and
the business of his first years of industry
is to find out where he is.
Most of us are borne to serve. We are
not formed to direct, to organize. to con-
| trol, to command. We have not the au-
dacity, nor the patient forethought, nor
the grasp of details, nor the self-deniaI,
nor the quiet nerves, nor the tenacity of
purpose, which men must have to found
something large, honest and durable.
Few of my men ever think of setting
up in business for themselves said an
employer the other day.
why not?''
They earn too much. They prefer to
marry on fifteen dollars a week, and risk
the future"
They are probably right in so doing,
since nature probably meant them for
such lot, and they are quite as likely,
in that lot, to attain happy and peace
ful existence as their more courageous
and less sensitive cOmrade who courts
fortune in little shop or office of his
own, and wins her when his head is bald.
What is called success is one thing; hap
plness is quite another thing; and, really,
there is very little connection between
them. Successful men all know this,
and often in their hearts envy the men
who have only attained honorable en-
ployment, health and content.
That gift of the Initiative" " as the
| French call 1t, is something very strange.
The JonHahSt told story lately of
Louis klopsch, a young man who had
much to do with originating the system
of supplying the newspapers all over the
country with pictorial articles. His en-
ployer, New York printer, having
| ldI &c puSlueSN, WAS losing money, ana
desired to sell out.
81 will buy you ont, said the young
man. He bought out the establishment,
nine presses, many fonts of type, steam
power, good everything, ION the
installment PLAN" paid certain sum
every month, and never failed to come
to time.
How are we to explain such fact as
this? Louis klopsch possessed the gift
of the initiative, and his employer saw
that he did. He had confidence in him
self, and he inspired confidence. But
why? Because he really possessed the
four great qualities which commanding
| position equires-coIrage knowledge,
strength and patience. BY natural mem
tai endowment, he was master of the
place Iouth's Coap0Hion.